COLUMN: College principal explains earning and learning benefits

By Stuart Cutforth

The results are in. All those months spent revising, sitting exams and waiting to find out how much the hard work has paid off are over. Amidst the celebrations, congratulations or commiserations there will probably be some pressure to sort out what’s next. Will it be more study, entering the world of work or a combination of the two? The career goal, the advice you got at school or college, family pressures and financial situations can all influence choices. For too long though, the apprenticeship route has been looked at as the second class route to qualifications and preparation for a career. University is still perceived as the best way to get ahead of the game by many.

We need to get over this perception and celebrate all the benefits apprenticeships offer. Apprenticeships can take you just as far if not further than studying full time at university. Learning and earning not only delivers the qualifications employers are looking for, it gives that valuable experience that can make you stand out. Teachers, parents and young people probably still have the perception that apprenticeships are associated with blue collar, practical jobs. The government’s ‘Get In Go Far’ campaign aims to challenge those myths and show the range of apprenticeships available and where they can lead. For more visit: www.getingofar.gov.uk.

I was an apprentice myself in one of those ‘get your hands dirty’ kind of jobs but learning in this way sparked a passion in me and I was the first in my family to go to university. I come across lots of other passionate young people doing some exciting and unusual apprenticeship roles with us who are destined for great things.

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